@mbar8...I saw the Night Watch movie--really cool.  I haven't been able to get a copy of Daywatch and don't think the others were made into films?

@Whiskey...the Terminus Est in Warhammer was taken from the book (according to the wikipedia).

Ah, I see.

Just to be clear, wasn't suggesting 40K (NOT "Warhammer", which is usually used in reference to Warhammer Fantasy) Terminus Est came first, just noting the point of similarity.

Heh--yeah, I missed my Warhammer phase...but I know friends of friends who play it.

Here's a few series that probably a lot of people have never heard of but are essential reading to anyone that considers themselves a fan of Science Fiction.

My first recommendation is the Edgar Rice Burroughs (yeah the guy that wrote Tarzan) John Carter of Mars series. He also wrote a 5 book series about Venus as well as a series about an "Inner Earth" world called Pellucidar. This may sound corny but you don't know anything about science fiction if you haven't read most of these.

My second recommendation is Roger Zelazny whose Nine Princes in Amber and follow on series' are also must reads for anyone considering themselves a fan of science fiction. Lord of Light is another atandout among many others.

One of the most prolific writers is Piers Anthony that does real well with 3 to 5 book series'. Be a bit careful as he also is pretty heavy into the fantasy side and his fantasy stuff is usually pretty corny though the Split Infinity series that mixed both magic and technology was one of his best works.

For military science fiction no one beats David Weber and his Honor series.

Another set of classics are the E.E. "Doc" Smith Lensman series.

The list is just too long to really go into as much as I'd like but I did just recently catalog all of my science fiction books because I got tired of forgetting if I had read something or not and bought the same book twice and in some cases thrice.

In all it's glory here's my SF catalog. See if this works.

Adams, Douglas, Dirk Gently's Holistic Dective Agency
Aldiss, Brian W., Hellconia Winter
Aldiss, Brian W., Helliconia Spring
Aldiss, Brian W., Helliconia Summer
Anderson, Poul and Karen, Gallicenae
Anderson, Poul, Orion Shall Rise
Anderson, Poul, Starfarers
Anderson, Poul, The Boat of a Million Years
Anderson, Poul, The Game of Empire
Anderson, Poul, The Stars are Also Free
Anderson, Poul, Time Patrolman
Anthony & Margroff, Serpent's Silver
Anthony & Margroff, The Ring
Anthony, Piers, And Eternity
Anthony, Piers, And Eternity
Anthony, Piers, Battle Circle
Anthony, Piers, Bearing an Hourglass
Anthony, Piers, Being a Green Mother
Anthony, Piers, Bio of a Space Tyrant Volume 1
Anthony, Piers, Bio of a Space Tyrant Volume 2
Anthony, Piers, Bio of a Space Tyrant Volume 3
Anthony, Piers, Castle Roogna
Anthony, Piers, Centaur Aisle
Anthony, Piers, Chaining the Lady
Anthony, Piers, Cluster
Anthony, Piers, Crewel Lye
Anthony, Piers, Dragon on a Pedestal
Anthony, Piers, Faith of Tarot
Anthony, Piers, For Love of Evil
Anthony, Piers, Ghost
Anthony, Piers, God of Tarot
Anthony, Piers, Golem in the Gears
Anthony, Piers, Heaven Cent
Anthony, Piers, Juxtaposition
Anthony, Piers, Kirlian Quest
Anthony, Piers, Macroscope
Anthony, Piers, Man From Mundania
Anthony, Piers, Night Mare
Anthony, Piers, Ogre Ogre
Anthony, Piers, Omnivore
Anthony, Piers, On a Pale Horse
Anthony, Piers, Orn
Anthony, Piers, Out of Phaze
Anthony, Piers, Ox
Anthony, Piers, Prostho Plus
Anthony, Piers, Robot Adept
Anthony, Piers, Source of Magic
Anthony, Piers, Spell For Chameleon
Anthony, Piers, Split Infinity
Anthony, Piers, Thousandstar
Anthony, Piers, Triple Détente
Anthony, Piers, Unicorn Point
Anthony, Piers, Vale of the Vole
Anthony, Piers, Virtual Mode
Anthony, Piers, Viscous Circle
Anthony, Piers, Vision of Tarot
Anthony, Piers, Wielding a Red Sword
Anthony, Piers, With a Tangled Skein
Asard, Catherine, The Last Hawk
Asimov, Isaac, Forward the Foundation
Asimov, Isaac, Prelude to Foundation
Asimov, Isaac, The Robots of Dawn
Asimov, Isaac, The Stars Like Dust
Baldwin, Bill, The Trophy
Barnes, John, Caesar's Bicycle
Battletech, Exodus Road
Battletech, Freebirth
Battletech, Highlander Gambit
Battletech, Main Event
Baxter, Stephen, The Time Ships
Bear, Greg, Anvil of the Stars
Bear, Greg, Darwin's Children
Bear, Greg, Darwin's Radio
Bear, Greg, Eon
Bear, Greg, Eon
Bear, Greg, Eternity
Bear, Greg, Eternity
Bear, Greg, Eternity
Bear, Greg, The Forge of God
Bear, Greg, The Forge of God
Benford & Brin, Heart of the Comet
Benford, Gregory, Against Infinity
Benford, Gregory, Great Sky River
Benford, Gregory, Great Sky River
Benford, Gregory, Sailing Bright Eternity
Benford, Gregory, Tides of Light
Benford, Gregory, Tides of Light
Besse & Hamilton, The Guardsman
Bischoff & White, Forbidden World
Bischoff, David, Galactic Warriors
Bischoff, David, The Infinite Battle
Bischoff, David, The Macrocosmic Conflict
Blakeney, Jay D., The Children of Anthi
Bova, Ben, Mars
Bova, Ben, Vengeance of Orion
Bradley & Lackey, Rediscovery
Bradley, Marion Zimmer, Free Amazon of Darkover
Bradley, Marion Zimmer, The Other Side of the Mirror
Brooks, Terry, Magic Kingdom For Sale
Brooks, Terry, The Black Unicorn
Brooks, Terry, Wizard at Large
Brunner, John, The Tides of Time
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, A Fighting Man of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, A Princess of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, John Carter of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Llana of Gathol
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Swords of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Synthetic Men of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, The Chessman of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, The Gods of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, The Master Mind of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, The Warlord of Mars
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Thuvia Maid of Mars
Busby, F.M., All These Earths
Busby, F.M., Rissa and Tregare
Busby, F.M., Star Rebel
Busby, F.M., The Alien Debt
Busby, F.M., The Demu Trilogy
Busby, F.M., The Long View
Busby, F.M., Young Rissa
Butler, Octavia, Clay's Ark
Card, Orsen Scott, Children of the Mind
Card, Orsen Scott, Shadow Puppets
Card, Orson Scott, Ender's Game
Card, Orson Scott, Red Prophet
Card, Orson Scott, Seventh Son
Card, Orson Scott, The Tales of Alvin Maker III
Card, Orson Scott, Treason
Card, Orson Scott, Wyrms
Carver, Jeffery A., From a Changeling Star
Carver, Jeffrey A., Eternity's End
Carver, Jeffrey A., The Rapture Effect
Chalker, Jack L., Balshazzar's Serpent
Chalker, Jack L., Mask of Martyrs
Chalker, Jack L., Priam's Lens
Chalker, Jack L., The Demons at Rainbow Bridge
Chalker, Jack L., The Demons at Rainbow Bridge
Chalker, Jack L., The Maze in the Mirror
Chalker, Jack L., The Ninty Trillion Fausts
Chalker, Jack L., The Run to Chaos Keep
Chalker, Jack L., The Shadow Dancers
Chalker, Jack L., The Wonderland Gambit Book 2
Chalker, Jack L., The Wonderland Gambit, Book 1
Chalker, Jack L., The Wonderland Gambit, Book 3
Chalker, Jack L., Warriors of the Storm
Charrette, Robert, Heir to the Dragon
Cherryh & Asire, Wizard Spawn Book II
Cherryh & Fish, A Dirge for Sabis
Cherryh & Lackey, Reap the Whirlwind
Cherryh, C.J., Chanur's Homecoming
Cherryh, C.J., Chanur's Legacy
Cherryh, C.J., Chanur's Venture
Cherryh, C.J., Cyteen: The Betrayal
Cherryh, C.J., Cyteen: The Rebirth
Cherryh, C.J., Cyteen: The Vidication
Cherryh, C.J., Downbelow Station
Cherryh, C.J., Exile's Gate
Cherryh, C.J., Explorer
Cherryh, C.J., Finity's End
Cherryh, C.J., Rider at the Gate
Cherryh, C.J., The Kif Strike Back
Cherryh, C.J., The Paladin
Chilson, Rob, Men Like Rats
Clark, Arthur C., Venus Prime: Hide and Seek
Clark, Arthur C., Venus Prime: The Medusa Encounter
Clarke, Arthur C., Imperial Earth
Clarke, Arthur C., The Sentinel
Cochran & Murphy, World Without End
Cole & Bunch, Revenge of the Damned
Cole & Bunch, The Court of a Thousand Suns
Congdon & Weed, Agent of Byzantium
Cooper, Louise, Infanta
Cooper, Louise, Inferno
Cooper, Louise, Nemesis
Daley, Brian, Fall of the White Ship Avatar
Daley, Brian, Jinx on a Terran Inheritence
Daley, Brian, Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds
Dalmas & Martin, The Playmasters
Dalmas, John, The Three Cornered War
DeChance, John, Paradox Alley
Dickson & Harrison, The Lifeship
Dickson, Gordon R., Dorsai!
Dickson, Gordon R., Forever  Man
Dickson, Gordon R., Forward!
Dickson, Gordon R., Lost Dorsai
Dickson, Gordon R., Mindspan
Dickson, Gordon R., Soldier Ask Not
Dickson, Gordon R., The Chantry Guild
Dickson, Gordon R., The Final Encyclopedia
Dickson, Gordon R., The Last Master
Dickson, Gordon R., Way of the Pilgrim
Dickson, Gordon R., Wolfling
Dietz, William, For Those Who Fell
Donaldson, Stephen R., A Man Rides Through
Donaldson, Stephen R., A Man Rides Through
Donaldson, Stephen R., Lord Fouls' Bane
Donaldson, Stephen R., The Illearth War
Donaldson, Stephen R., The Mirror of Her Dreams
Donaldson, Stephen R., The One Tree
Donaldson, Stephen R., The Power That Preserves
Donaldson, Stephen R., The Wounded Land
Donaldson, Stephen R., White Gold Wielder
Drake & Dietz, Cluster Command
Drake & MacBride, The War Machine
Drake & Morris, Target
Drake, David, Bridgehead
Drake, David, Fortress
Drake, David, Northworld
Drake, David, Rolling Hot
Drake, David, Servant of the Dragon
Farmer, Jose Farmer, Dayworld
Farmer, Jose Farmer, Dayworld Rebel
Faust, Joe Clifford, A Death of Honor
Feist, Raymond E., Magician: Apprentice
Feist, Raymond E., Magician: Master
Feist, Raymond E., Silverthorn
Forward, Robert L., Rocheworld
Foster, Alan Dean, Quofum
Foster, Alan Dean, The Last Starfighter
Friesner, Esther, New York by Knight
Gardner, Craig Shaw, The Exploits of Ebenezvm
Gear, Michael, The Web of Spider
Gear, W. Michael, The Artifact
Gear, W. Michael, The Warriors of Spider
Gear, W. Michael, The Way of Spider
Goldin & Mason, Jade Darcy and the Affair of Honor
Green, Roland J., Starcruiser Shenandoah
Greenland, Colin, Harm's Way
Gunn, James E., The Listeners
Gunnarsson, Thorarinn, Starwolves: Battle of the Ring
Haldeman, Joe, Buying Time
Haldeman, Joe, The Forever War
Hambly, Barbara, Darkmage
Hambly, Barbara, The Armies of Daylight
Hambly, Barbara, The Silicon Mage
Hambly, Barbara, The Time of the Dark
Hambly, Barbara, The Unschooled Wizard
Hambly, Barbara, The Silent Tower
Hardy, Lyndon, Master of the Five Magics
Hardy, Lyndon, Riddle of the Seven Realms
Hardy, Lyndon, Secret of the Sixth Magic
Harrison, Harry, Technicolor Time Machine
Harrison, Harry, The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat
Harrison, Harry, The Deathworld Trilogy
Harrison, Harry, The Stainless Steel Rat for President
Harrison, Harry, The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted
Harrison, Harry, The Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus
Hartwell, David G., Masterpieces of Fantasy and Enchantment
Heinlein, Robert A., Assignment in Eternity
Heinlein, Robert A., Citizen of the Galaxy
Heinlein, Robert A., Double Star
Heinlein, Robert A., Glory Road
Heinlein, Robert A., Red Planet
Heinlein, Robert A., The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
Heinlein, Robert A., The Green Hills of Earth
Heinlein, Robert A., The Number of the Beast
Heinlein, Robert A., Time Enough for Love
Heinlein, Robert A., To Sail Beyond The Sunset
Herbert & Ransom, The Ascension Factor
Herbert & Ransom, The Jesus Incident
Herbert & Ransom, The Lazarus Effect
Herbert, Frank, The Santaroga Barrier
Herbert, Frank, Soul Catcher
Hogan, James P., Giants' Star
Hogan, James P., The Gentle Giants of Ganymede
Hughes, Monica, Devil on my Back
Kellogg & Rossow, Reign of Fire
Kellogg, M. Bradley, The Wave and the Flame
Kube-McDowell, Micheal P., Emprise
Kube-McDowell, Micheal P., Enigma
Laumer, Keith, A Trace of Memory
Laumer, Keith, Plague of Demons
Laumer, Keith, Retief and the Pangalactic Pagent of Pulchritude
Laumer, Keith, Retief and the Warlords
Laumer, Keith, Retief in the Ruins
Laumer, Keith, Retief of the CDT
Laumer, Keith, Reward for Retrief
Laumer, Keith, Rogue Bolo
Laumer, Keith, Star Colony
Laumer, Keith, The Return of Retief
Laumer, Keith, The Stars Must Wait
Laumer, Keith, The Time Bender
Lee, Tanith, Day by Night
Lee, Tanith, Days of Grass
Lee, Tanith, Night's Daughter
Lee, Tanith, The Lords of Darkness
Leigh, Stephen, The Crystal Memory
Longyer, Barry B., Infinity Hold
May, Julian, Adversary
McCafferty, Anne, The Dragonriders of Pern
McCaffrey, Anne, Get Off the Unicorn
McCaffrey, Anne, Killashandra
McDevitt, Jack, The Devil's Eye
McDevitt, Jack, The Engines of God
McKinney, Jack, The End of the Circle
Meluch, R.M., Jerusalem Fire
Meluch, R.M., Warbirds
Meluch, R.M., Wind Dancers
Milan, Victor, Cybernetic Samurai
Mills, C.J., Winter World
Modesitt, L.E., The Eternity Artifact
Modesitt, L.E., The Ethos Effect
Moffett, Judith, PennTerra
Moorcock, Micheal, The Elric Saga: Part I
Moorcock, Micheal, The Elric Saga: Part II
Moorcock, Micheal, The Knight of the Swords
Morris, Janet and Chris, City at the Edge of Time
Niles, Douglas, Darkwalker on Moonshae
Niven & Anderson & Ing, The Man-Kzin Wars
Niven & Barnes, The Barsoom Project
Niven & Pournelle & Barnes, The Legacy of Heorot
Niven & Pournelle & Barnes, The Legacy of Heorot
Niven & Pournelle & Flynn, Fallen Angels
Niven & Pournelle, Footfall
Niven & Pournelle, Lucifer's Hammer
Niven & Pournelle, Oath of Fealty
Niven & Pournelle, The Mote in God's Eye
Niven, & Ing & Pournelle & Stirling, Man-Kzin Wars II
Niven, Larry, Destiny's Road
Niven, Larry, Ringworld
Niven, Larry, The Integral Trees
Niven, Larry, The Patchwork Girl
Niven, Larry, The Ringworld Engineers
Niven, Larry, The Ringworld Throne
Niven, Larry, The Smoke Ring
Norton, Andre, Forerunner
Norton, Andre, Forerunner: The Second Venture
Norton, Andre, Star Gate
Norton, Andre, Star Guard
Norton, Andre, Star Rangers
Norton, Andre, The Defiant Agents Key Out of Time
Norton, Andre, The X Factor
Norton, Andre, Victory on Janus
Olan, Susan Torian, The Earth Remembers
Perry & Reaves, The Omega Cage
Perry, Steve, The 97th Step
Piers, Anthony, Blue Adept
Piper, H. Beam, Uller Uprising
Pohl & Kornbluth, Search the Sky
Pohl & Kornbluth, The Space Merchants
Pohl & Williamson, Farthest Star
Pohl & Williamson, Land's End
Pohl & Williamson, Wall Around a Star
Pohl, Frederik, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon
Pohl, Frederik, Black Star Rising
Pohl, Frederik, Heechee Rendezvous
Pohl, Frederik, Mining the Oort
Pohl, Frederik, Starburst
Pohl, Frederik, The Annals of the Heechee
Pohl, Frederik, The Annals of the Heechee
Pohl, Frederik, The Annals of the Heechee
Pohl, Frederik, The Coming of the Quantum Cats
Pohl, Frederik, The Far Shore of Time
Pohl, Frederik, The Merchants War
Pohl, Frederik, The Seige of Eternity
Pournelle, Jerry, Prince of Mercenaries
Pratchett, Terry, The Light Fantastic
Prescot, Drey, Werewolves of Kregen
Reynolds & Ing, Deathwish World
Robinson, Ken Stanley, Icehenge
Robinson, Kim Stanley, Green Mars
Rosenburg, Joel, Not for Glory
Rowley, Christopher, Starhammer
Rowley, Christopher, The Founder
Rowley, Christopher, The Vang
Rucker, Rudy, Wetware
Rucker, Ruov, Master of Space and Time
Russell, Eric Frank, Wasp
Russo, Richard Paul, Ship of Fools
Saberhagen, Fred, Berserker
Saberhagen, Fred, Berserker Man
Saberhagen, Fred, Brother Assassin
Saberhagen, Fred, Pilgrim
Saberhagen, Fred, The Berserker Throne
Saberhagen, Fred, The Complete Book of Swords
Saberhagen, Fred, The White Bull
Scott, Melissa Scott, Five-Twelfths of Heaven
Scott, Melissa, Silence in Solitude
Scott, Melissa, The Kindly Ones
Shaw, Bob, The Ragged Astronauts
Sheffield, Charles, Between the Strokes of Night
Sheffield, Charles, The Web Between the Worlds
Silverberg, Robert, Across a Billion Years
Silverberg, Robert, At Winter's End
Silverberg, Robert, The Man in the Maze
Silverberg, Robert, The Silent Invaders
Silverberg, Robert, Time Gates
Simak, Clifford D., Where the Evil Dwells
Simmons, Dan, Endymion
Simmons, Dan, Hyperion
Simmons, Dan, The Fall of Hyperion
Simmons, Dan, The Rise of Endymion
Skal, David J., Antibodies
Sleator, William, Interstellar Pig
Smith, E.E. "Doc", Children of the Lens
Smith, E.E. "Doc", First Lensmen
Smith, E.E. "Doc", Galactic Patrol
Smith, E.E. "Doc", Gray Lensmen
Smith, E.E. "Doc", Masters of the Vortex
Smith, E.E. "Doc", Second Stage Lensman
Smith, E.E. "Doc", Triplanetary
Stasheff, Christopher, Escape Velocity
Stasheff, Christopher, King Kobold Revived
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock Enraged
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock Heretical
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock in Spite of Himself
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock Inlocked
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock Insane
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock is Missing
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock Wandering
Stasheff, Christopher, The Warlock's Companion
Steakley, John, Armor
Steele, Allen, Orbital Decay
Sterling, Bruce, Schismatrix
Stewart, Fred Mustard, Starchild
Stirling & Drake, The Chosen
Swycaffer, Jefferson P., Become the Hunted
Takei & Asprin, Mirror Friend Mirror Foe
Tepper, Sheri S., After Long Silence
Tepper, Sheri S., The Awakeners
Turtledove, Harry, A World of Difference
Vance, Jack, Cugel's Saga
Vardeman, Robert E., The Weapons of Chaos Book I
Vinge, Vernor, Tatja Grimm's World
Watkins, William John, The Last Deathship Off Antares
Weber & White, In Death Ground
Weber & White, The Shiva Option
Weber, David, Ashes of Victory
Weber, David, At All Costs
Weber, David, By Schism Rent Asunder
Weber, David, Echos of Honor
Weber, David, Field of Dishonor
Weber, David, Heirs of Empire
Weber, David, Hell Hath No Fury
Weber, David, Honor Among Enemies
Weber, David, In Enemy Hands
Weber, David, In Fury Born
Weber, David, Mutineers' Moon
Weber, David, On Basilisk Station
Weber, David, On Basilisk Station
Weber, David, Path of the Fury
Weber, David, The Armageddon Inheritance
Weber, David, The Honor of the Queen
Weber, David, The Shadow of Saganami
Weber, David, The Short Victorious War
Weis & Hickman, Doom of the Darksword
Weis & Hickman, Forging the Darksword
Weis & Hickman, Triumph of the Darksword
White, Steve, Prince of Sunset
Williams, Paul O., The Gifts of the Gorboduc Vandal
Williams, Walter Jon, Angel Station
Williams, Walter Jon, Dread Empire's Fall
Williamson, Jack, The Black Sun
Wilson & Costello, Masque
Wren, Thomas, The Doomsday Effect
Wrightson, Patrica, The Ice is Coming
Yates, W.R., Diasporah
Yermakov, Nicholas, Jehad
Zahn, Timothy, A coming of Age
Zahn, Timothy, Cobra Bargain
Zahn, Timothy, Cobra Strike
Zahn, Timothy, Conquerors' Heritage
Zahn, Timothy, Conquerors' Legacy
Zahn, Timothy, Conquerors' Pride
Zahn, Timothy, Conquerors' Pride
Zahn, Timothy, Deadman Switch
Zahn, Timothy, Spinneret
Zahn, Timothy, The Backlash Mission
Zahn, Timothy, The Blackcollar
Zahn, Timothy, Warhorse
Zelazny, Roger, Blood of Amber
Zelazny, Roger, Creatures of Light and Darkness
Zelazny, Roger, Creatures of Light and Darkness
Zelazny, Roger, Dilvish the Damned
Zelazny, Roger, Frost & Fire
Zelazny, Roger, Isle of the Dead
Zelazny, Roger, Lord Demon
Zelazny, Roger, Lord of Light
Zelazny, Roger, Nine Princes in Amber
Zelazny, Roger, Roadmarks
Zelazny, Roger, Sign of Chaos
Zelazny, Roger, Sign of the Unicorn
Zelazny, Roger, The Changing Land
Zelazny, Roger, The Chronicles of Amber Volume I
Zelazny, Roger, The Chronicles of Amber Volume II
Zelazny, Roger, The Courts of Chaos
Zelazny, Roger, The Guns of Avalon
Zelazny, Roger, The Hand of Oberon
Zelazny, Roger, The Last Defender of Camelot
Zelazny, Roger, The Mask of Loki
Zelazny, Roger, This Immortal
Zelazny, Roger, Trumps of Doom
Zelazny, Roger, Unicorn Variations
Zelazny, Roger, Wizard World

Wow, what a list

How much of that is space opera/space warfare?

Great Scott that is a pile of books!

Anything that David Weber writes is good (these books were listed above).  The first two are in their own series, so are good to read if you don't want to read a long series.  The "Honorverse", which includes just about all of the other titles (not sure about "By Schism Rent Asunder"), is a decently long series.  I haven't read it all, but the books I have read were good.  Not mentioned but also by David Weber is "Out of the Dark".  It just came out in paperback, so I haven't yet read it.

Another series is Harry Turtledove's "World War" series.  This is what I'm currently reading.  In the series, our World War II gets interrupted by the arrival of a reptillian alien race.  The "Dawn of Victory" mod for Sins is based on these books.  I believe there are 3 books in the series, which is followed up by the 3 books in the "Colonization" series, and then by the book "Homeward Bound", which ends both of the series.  I'm currently finishing the "World War" series and it is one of my favorites (SciFi meets Alternate History).

I'd have to guess about 1/4th to 1/3rd. Off the top of my head Weber, Zahn, Saberhagen and Dickerson are primarily about space warfare. I think Weber does the best battle scenarios out there.

That's only the ones I own, slightly less than 500. Like I said I got tired of buying books for the second and in some cases third time only to get halfway into the first chapter and realize that I already have the book.

However this is probably about 1/3rd of all the science fiction books that I've read. I've read from A to Z of every science fiction book at more than just a few libraries in my time. It helps to be almost 60 and have been reading science fiction since I was thirteen.

Like I've certainly read every Asimov, Clark, Heinlein and Norton that's every been written even though I have hardly any of these old timers in my collection.

The book that got me started on science fiction was a book called "Star Rovers" by Jack London and while that book wasn't really science fiction (it was more about reincarnation, previous lives and out of body experiences) that's what got me started. One of the first true science fiction books I read was Heinlein's "Have Space Suit Will Travel."

All in I really prefer series, the longer the better, since it gives you more time for development and growth of a particular premise.

David Webber and the Honorverse is a VERY good series! VERY VERY GOOD!!!

 

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is a very good fantasy setting that is epic in scope (it builds and builds and builds in the series).

 

The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov is also very good, I would read them in chronological order starting with 'Prelude to Foundation'. The series can be a bit slow sometimes but overall is a nice series.

 

Rama by Arthur C. Clarke is a good series though it is also slow.

 

 

If you like Dragons, Fantasy, and an epic and complete series set that will keep you entertained, check out 'The Death Gate Cycle' by Margerette Weis & Tracy Hickman

 

There is also the 'Chronicles of Amber' by Zelazny which is a good small series.

 

Lastly, a surprisingly good book I just finished reading that came out this year (that is the start of an as of yet un-continued series) is 'Leviathan Wakes' by James S.A. Corey 

 

 

Hope this helps!

What I would like to encourage every science fiction fan, particularly younger fans, is to go back and read the older stuff. It's usually somewhat shorter and usually single threaded unlike most modern writing but there is a timelessness to good writing and it's well worth your time to read the classics. That's why they call them the classics.

Do like I've done many times. Just go to your local library and read every science fiction book from A to Z. And once you're done with that, go find a bigger library and do it again.

I am rather fond of the Conquerors Trilogy, but it has been so long since I read it. I found the trilogy at my local library when I was looking for more of Timothy Zahn's Star Wars books.

 

I thought the Thoma\s Covenant stories were incredible as well.  Not exactly space opera as originally suggested--great fantasy though.

Great list, Mumblefratz.  I was surprised at the absence of Gene Wolfe from your list, although perhaps you've read him but don't own the books.  I have to second Sinperium's recommendation above.  Wolfe writes beautifully, although if you're looking for space opera I'd go elsewhere. 

Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Book of the Long Sun, and Book of the Short Sun take place in the same universe and are related.  My second favorite series is his Soldier series, Soldier of the Mist, Soldier of Arete, and Soldier of Sidon.  The protagonist is a Roman soldier who forgets everything every night, so that in the morning he has to read a scroll to learn who he is and what he's trying to do.